Radrizzani's Eleven Sports network lands Dutch and Chinese TV deals

Andrea Radrizzani’s Eleven Sports broadcasting network has expanded its portfolio again by beating Sky Sports to the UK and Irish rights to Eredivisie and Chinese Super League games.

The Leeds United chairman has intensified his drive to acquire major broadcasting deals after recently securing the rights to La Liga and Serie A matches.

Eleven Sports broke Sky’s long stranglehold on La Liga by agreeing a three-year deal from the start of next season and claimed domestic rights to the Serie A ahead of BT Sport last week.

The network, which plans to launch two UK television channels later this year alongside an online streaming service, will now broadcast matches from Holland’s Eredivisie next season and the Chinese Super League from 2019. Both packages were previously held by Sky.

Eleven Sports has also purchased rights to Sweden’s Allsvenskan, beginning with the current 2018 campaign.

Radrizzani, who is majority shareholder at Elland Road, founded Eleven Sports in 2015 and has built up a TV deals across the world in the past three years, including a recent agreement to televise league matches in Myanmar, the country which Leeds controversially toured at the end of last season.

The Italian is understood to be looking into future bids for Premier League rights in an attempt to tap into the English market.

Danny Menken, Eleven Sports’ group managing director, said the network was “delivering on the promise to become the go-to destination for football fans.”

“We are looking forward to announcing more premium football and non-football rights soon to add to our growing portfolio,” Menken said.